Mark of the Forerunners
by Subtlepasta
Summary: The Red Marker has fallen into Flood hands and Isaac now works directly with the UNSC, alongside Master Chief. Rated M for horror and language.
1. Chapter 1

This is my third story which as I continue to hopefully get better at writing, will be of course better than my previous work. Gamov beta-read for me which was a great help. For those who have been on my profile recently, you would have noticed that I said that more chapters and what not will have been done over the Summer. Unfortunately, for the month of July, I have had a scarcity of interwebs and camping in the Alleghanies or the Rockies is usually not the greatest time to be writing fanfics. For those who haven't read my other work check out my profile and please do that whole **review **thing that Anons do so very well.

Well, do what you do best. Read.

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Smells and sights only coveted by the Flood covered the main room of the High Charity. The Hive mind's entrails now covered what was once the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Various Flood carried in what looked like a demonic monolith. Its two main structures spiraled together with intricate glowing red markings along its eight faces. As the monolith was being set upward, tentacles adorned with the flesh of its meals protruded across the squishy floor.

"So this is the monolith that the 'humans' fear yet worship so much," the Hive mind's gravelly and deep voice regurgitated the words precisely within the minds of its servants.

A similar guttural voice ruptured the faint yet ominous background noise, "This is the synthetic model that the humans made, known as the 'Red Marker' found on Aegis 7. The original 'Black Marker's' location is still unknown."

"What purpose does this, 'Marker' have?"

"'It seems that through research and experiments, they are able to construct an artificial chromosome capable of creating a highly infectious virus known as a Necromorph. They already have a sentient Hive-mind of their own located on Aegis 7."

"Would you happen to know if any of their acquired hosts or even their Hive-mind is capable of reason?"

"To our knowledge, not so. They all seem to be entranced by their monolith. Even more so with the synthetic model. This could most likely be deemed a problem if we hold onto this any longer."

"No, no. If they want this 'Red Marker' back so much, then they'll have to _take_ it from me," and with that, the tentacles which seemed to reach out from the bowels of Gluttony, receded back to their squelching depths.

**ONE WEEK BEFORE:**

Isaac Clark wheeled in the Red Marker to its final destination on Aegis 7. After the planet cracking began, the atmosphere became hostile and what seemed to be clouds turned to a slickly orange hue. The terrain that laid waste just outside of the docking station was devastating. What were once mountains were now piles of fine dust particles ready to be separated into useful minerals for the overpopulated planet known as Earth. Valleys were now endless pits with random machinery to a fro.

Just as Isaac began to drag in the Red Marker to the final docking station, what seemed to be an earthquake fissured the land he walked upon, Rocks of considerable size fell from their respective holding and crushed the bridge that connected the separating cliff. The tether that secured the monolith to the transporting plate gave way letting the Marker fall into the dusty abyss.

Isaac was granted the same fate as the former and fell alongside. His armor plates withstood the force applied when he jammed his right hand into one of the many cracks along the cliff. What he did feel was the titanium alloy plate dent in and the heat soak through to his scarred yet sensitive flesh. He roared at the pain he was given and through the blood soaked helm, he witnessed all that he worked for, all the horror, blood, and guts he had to go through, disappear into nothing.

What caused the earthquake soon erupted from the fog. The gargantuan grotesque figure resembling a worm erected itself and peered towards Isaac. Even through the high grade filters his helmet provided, the awful stench of putrefying bodies would easily make anyone vomit. Twice. It wrapped one of its smaller tentacles around Isaac's leg and wrenched him until his armor plated vambrace gave way revealing a crushed, burnt, and mangled hand. It raised the nearly dismembered body and brought closer to the gaping tunnel Isaac considered to be its mouth. Encircling Isaac's eminent doom were five yellow bulbs resembling gelatinous orbs wrapped in pulsing blood vessels. It's needle covered maw drew closer to Isaac when out of the blue, or rather the sickly orange, a UNSC Pelican swooped in and fired hundreds of rounds into one of the Hive mind's many appendages. The Hive mind squealed and roared at the injury and released the mauled body from its grasp. Isaac heard the gunshot but never associated it with something that might save him from his certain death. Isaac felt the emptiness in his stomach as he fell oh-so-many feet to the rocky below. The sound of wind began to increasingly rush through his helmet and against open hand. He accepted his fate and closed his eyes. He hoped that whatever Gods that commandeered his sails would grant him a death much less painful than those to choose from aboard the USG Ishimura. For what seemed to be an eternity was actually seconds as Isaac for a second time, was grappled and reeled in to his safety inside the Pelican. He heard the hatch close and the whooshing stop, except for the faint noise of the ship's engine. He was tired and every bruise, break, and cut ached as he was set down on a one of the rows of seats. His helmet was depressurized and white smoke came out of the leak. The ODST soldiers placed his helmet off to the side as he was given for the first time in a while, the time to sleep.

Isaac awoke from his slumber upon the Pelican. His head was throbbing and every movement made him wince. His armor had been completely taken off and a plethora of surgical equipment had been applied to his body. His right hand was covered in a light sepia colored foam and bandages. Although the wound still hurt incredibly, the foam absorbed most of the heat and discomfort. His steel grey eyes scanned the small hull of the ship. At first he noticed none, but with a keen eye and some actual thought, found one soldier sitting adjacent to him. They still had their unique helmet on, so it was almost impossible to distinguish between male or female. The thick layers of armor were yet again covered by ammunition, grenades, and other useful equipment necessary for the fight against hostile alien forces. Their head was down for the time until the silence was broken.

"Where are we?" Isaac said hoarsely. His voice cracked from never using it in so long.

The soldier lifted their head and said, "We're on our way to the Pillar of Autumn, which is right now in orbit around Aegis 7. We heard the distress call from the USG Ishimura that you or someone else put out. Although you and your crew went to investigate, there was a second distress call. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get here on time," the voice was from a woman giving Isaac a warm feeling. She stood up and began talking gain, "For now, you should rest. It'll be a couple of hours or so till we land on the Pillar."

Isaac sighed with relief. For now, he wouldn't have to fight necromorphs or protect hallucinations from being ripped apart or repair enormous ships, while having a necromorph trying to bite his ass. He rested his head back on the makeshift pillow and tried to fall asleep, but couldn't. He rotated his head towards his new acquaintance and asked, "What's your name?" he inquired blatantly and without much thought. He wondered if he should have reworded his question but before he could correct himself, she responded.

"The name's Miranda Schiffer, but my friends call me Mira," she carefully lifted the helmet off her head revealing a beautiful complexion. Her cheeks had reddened from the cushions and the heat. Her skin looked almost sickly pale from the lack of exposure to the sun, but he soon recognized that she was already an albino, not making much of a difference. Her silky black hair remained tied in a tight knot at the back of her head. Her eyes sparkled with bright gold flecks and for a fraction of a second, Isaac would have sworn he noticed a fluctuation of light within her radiant eyes.

"Artificial eyes," Isaac smirked at his comment. He had never seen a prosthetic set of eyes. Because of how fragile the connections are, he assumed that such operations were deemed impossible. Or at least requiring insurmountable amounts of money that even the military's spending would have seemed like child's play.

Mira closed her eyes tightly before opening them up again, "As you might be wondering, I was born blind and for the first ten years of my life, I couldn't see. And because of that, I don't remember much. My father was a high military official so with some 'bribing', I got some damn good eyes. So because of these eyes and my father wanting me to help with the war effort, I joined the UNSC and then was put in with the ODST. But the last thing I wanted was men ogling over me just because of some shiny stuff in my eyes."

Isaac looked away with half embarrassment. He replied with a shrug and a "sorry." He thought of other things that might interest his new acquaintance but failed to come up with anything of interest.

She walked over to Isaac with what looked like an epi-pen and quickly stabbed his arm injecting the clear viscous fluid, "This is a sedative so you'll be out like a light soon. You've also lost a lot of blood. I won't complain about what you've been through. Those, things, what do you call them again?"

"Necromorphs."

"Right! Necromorphs, those things are fuckin' scary. I'll give you kudos for being able to withstand this much," she backed away from Isaac slightly, "By the way, you've any family back on Earth?"

Isaac thought for a moment. The wasn't anyone in particular closely related to him. He thought about his deceased parents and how they died back on Aegis 7 with the extraction of the Black Marker. He was an only child with nothing much to do other than tinker around with motors and random electronics. He dug deeper into his memory to find if there really was someone even remotely important to him. His mind wandered and he thought about the USG Ishimura. There was someone he wanted to meet very badly on that ship, but who was it? Isaac's eyes widened, "Nicole is back on the USG Ishimura!" He got up from the assortment of seats and began to painfully trudge over to the cockpit, "Redirect for the USG Ishimura!" Isaac roared towards the pilots. His eyesight began to fade and become hazy, "I- I- need- to find- Nicole…" Something snapped in his left leg and he plummeted to the ground connecting his head with the steel plated walls. Even without the use of the sedatives, he lay on the cold, grooved floor, unconscious, on the Pelican with a leg that looked slightly bent out of shape.

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So, how'd you like te first chapter? The second chapter is already in production so with some luck, this'll go along smoothly. For those who want a Miranda and Isaac pairing, it probably won't happen. This is horror, not some Twilight or Naruto shit involving romance and happy endings.

If this wasn't scary enough, which it most likely wasn't, please do give me some pointers on the subject; I'm trying to master the art of the Clive Barker. And as usual, give me some reviews. I like reviews. A lot.


	2. Chapter 2

Finally, after so long, I have published yet another chapter. I feel sort of bad that I have not taken the time to get past the writer's block that has prevented me from continuing with my other fics.

Well then, there really isn't much more for me to say. Now R&R.

Yes, **I DO OWN DEAD SAPCE AND HALO, BITCHES**...

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Isaac awoke again with even more bandages around his sore leg. That was an easy problem to discern. The problem that he couldn't solve was, where was he? The large white room was lit from the ceiling and floor. The polished steel walls felt ominous, almost as if they were ready to break free from their stationary positions and slowly close in on him. The room wasn't completely empty for it housed his medical bed and assorted tools used for cutting limbs, tranquilizing, and other means that Isaac was all to familiar with. There was a series of quick beeps and the sliding door connecting him to the outside world opened. A female doctor stepped in. She wasn't much to look at, with a small chest, and below average height. She walked over to Isaac's reclining bed and inquired, "How are you feeling?"

Her words were nice and comforting to hear and Isaac replied, "Other than the broken bones, incinerated hand, and internal bleeding, I feel pretty fine," he said in a joking manner, but his doctor wasn't too enthused.

"Due to your 'stunts' back on Aegis 7 and on the Pelican, You've been restricted to staying in bed for another two weeks with extensive surgery. After the two weeks, you'll go through rehabilitation until your used to your body. Until such time, refrain from doing anything _too_ stupid," she walked over to a folded wheelchair and propped it up for Isaac to plop onto. Isaac, along with some help, tenderly sat down on the wheelchair.

The device was simple with a woven black fabric for a seat and back. A joystick on the right armrest provided the vehicle with steering and other movements. Isaac began to test out his new means of transport, noticing that the steering was a little to sensitive for comfort. The doctor already seemed too frustrated, so he refrained from mentioning anything regarding his wants and needs.

He followed the doctor out to the into the hallway, which by now was already bustling with life. The hallway was enough to fit two necromorph Brutes. Support pillars were evenly spread across the center giving foot traffic some order. Within these "roads" was a constant supply of men and women in orange jumpsuits carting away soldiers with wounds that made Isaac's look like just a scratch.

"What happened here? More necromorphs?" Isaac only half joked with his comment.

"Necromorphs? Anyway, another UNSC battleship made contact with those Covenant bastards, and now their dumping their load on us. Plasma being shot at the speed of a bullet against cold, hard steel never ends pretty," she replied.

"As I recall, doesn't the UNSC already have an issued energy shield?"

"They were discontinued, being deemed too expensive and too unreliable. The good ones, though, only the elite soldiers get them. Their on Reach as we speak killing off those Covenant pests."

"Are they part of a special division, or team?"

"Yeah. They go by numbers so I don't know the names but their called SPARTANs. Individuals that have undergone certain treatments that make them resistant to high levels of pain, exceptionally strong and agile, and zero gravity doesn't even make them flinch. To go along with all that, they get to use an armored suit weighing over half a ton. It makes them faster and stronger, it gives them a state-of-the-art HUD which shows everything you need to know, and even without the energy shield most firepower can't get through."

Isaac thought for a moment. "How could a suit weighing over a thousand pounds be able to grant to user with even more strength?" he inquired to the nurse, "Where's the energy stored for the suit? I mean, if all this stuff really is possible, how do they make it all work?"

The doctor pondered for a moment. She rubbed her cheeks and chin slowly while trying to find an answer. She finally responded, "As I recall, they have a sort of backpack integrated into the suit. As for the energy, I don't know. Then again, I'm a doctor, not an engineers of those sorts."

Isaac stretched a little bit in his chair while letting out a sigh and said, "So you got me out here, what do we do now?"

The Doctor quickly turned her head to acknowledge the voice and replied, "You've been called by Captain Keyes to the bridge."

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The bridge of the Pillar of Autumn wasn't something to gloat over. A glass "bubble" of some sort created a panoramic view of the dark void called space. The captain's view of the world was always blocked by a series of holographs and HUDs indicating where everything notable was. On either side of his throne were numerous crewmen who vigorously maintained the ship's interior and exterior. AI may have become a useful tool with doing the dirty work of the ship, but for the sake of jobs, it is still run by humans.

With the help of the doctor, Isaac was able to wheel in his disfigured body to the ship's captain.

Keyes's swivel chair turned to face Isaac, his head resting on the palm of his hand. He had the typical American grandfather face with wrinkles and slightly graying hair. His attire showed his status within the Pillar of Autumn being a matte gray uniform with a similar style to the peons on the ship. A plethora of pins and medals signifying his achievements were adorned upon his left breast. He always had a frustrated look on his face which made most people wary of conversing with him. "So," he began speaking, "Engineer Isaac Clarke, the sole surviver of the USG Ishimura barely made it out with his life. Tell me, how are you feeling?"

Isaac kept his formality when he addressed the captain, "Extensive injuries have limited my abilities, captain," he strained to keep his posture upright and his voice from cracking or stuttering.

"You don't have to be all formal with me," he scoffed at the failed attempt and stood up from his seat. A light pat was given to Isaac on the shoulder and then leaned in closer to his ear, "Besides, you don't seem to be the type of person to be part of the UNSC," he chuckled lightly.

As was told, Isaac eased up a bit. He relaxed himself to a slouching position. Feeling much more comfortable now, he asked, "What have you called me for captain?"

"Well, I called you over to let you know that you have proven yourself time and time again that you're worthy of undergoing the SPARTAN II program. All you need to do is get yourself healed up."

"Wait, what?" Isaac was taken aback. Only once had the SPARTAN program been mentioned to him and now in the same day, the Autumn's captain wants him to partake in the same grueling procedure.

"Now you won't be able to have the same MJOLNIR power armor that the SPARTANs use, but we have something that might catch your eye."

"That brings up a good point, what the hell happened to my Rig armor. I did a shit load of digging through bodies for that money."

"Oh that, well, the USG Ishimura's Rigs were so outdated that it's pretty hard to find the same model. So, it was turned into scrap metal."

Isaac clenched his fist as tight as he could. Time and time again that piece of equipment was the separator between life and death on the Ishimura. If the UNSC was willing enough to offer him incredible strength and agility, why not fix his power suit instead. His fight against the Necromorphs proved that steroids wouldn't be necessary. It would be futile to argue with someone of Keyes's caliber, so he eased up on his frustration.

"Well then," Keyes continued, "hopefully in two months time, you'll be up there with the rest of the SPARTANs."

"Yes sir," he replied unenthusiastically. With his operational hand, Isaac swiveled the wheelchair towards the door with his head facing the floor. He looked up, but something was wrong. The whirring and beeping of machines and the chattering of people stopped. Unnecessary noise ceased to continue. In front of Isaac was a child no larger than a four year old peering intensely at him, hiding behind the door. Their skin was deathly pale and had a vomit green hue intertwined within. For it had no eyes, only molding sockets that once contained them. The nose had rotted away leaving a damp gaping cavity. The mouth wasn't visible but the cheeks were torn to provide an easier way to swallow its food whole. It gripped ahold of the door with clawed hands containing its previous meal and slithered from its hiding spot, presenting itself to Isaac.

Acrid fumes contaminated his nostrils. Putrefaction clung to his moist skin perspiring at the very glance of the morbid being. His heart beat with intense ferocity. The gritting of black teeth sunk deep into his ears and the slapping of a dismembered tongue complemented the former. It wobbled its way to its prey on broken legs finally gaining a hold onto Isaac's shoulder. The sights, the smells, the very feel of this creature horrified Isaac. His mind raced screaming at him, "Get up! Get up!" but his body refused to take action. The beast took one more stare at its adversary before sinking its black sharpened teeth deep into the neck of Isaac. Before he even had the time to scream, Isaac woke up.

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Isaac sat up straight heavily breathing with sweat gathering at his forehead. A hospital room similar to his former was where he lay. His enclosure was less medical and more comfortable. The floor was tiled with marble and tacky wallpaper covered the walls. The soft, silky bed was able to maneuver into various angles and was accompanied by a retractable food tray.

He vigorously scoured the room with his eyes finding no one. His torso and shoulder were wrapped in heavy bandaging making Isaac feel uneasy about his less than optimal encounter with imaginary Necromorphs.

With shaking hands, he padded his shoulder feeling satisfied that nothing felt sore, or injured, or bitten for that matter. What was odd was that his hand and leg felt fine.

"How long was I out for?" Isaac inquired.

The lights had been turn off in his room and the halls were silent. It seemed that even in deep space, there was still an order with time. Isaac meandered back into the covers of his pleasant bedding, and closed his eyes.

"Isaac," the voice calling his name was faint, like the whispers of a dying man, only this came from a woman.

He once again sat upwards. The voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"I've been looking for you." the voice sounded louder, or closer in fact, making it more distinguishable from others. It sounded familiar to Isaac. Very familiar.

"Nicole? Is that you?" Isaac was eager to see his loved one, but he had his doubts.

From outside the door, a sharp, painful screeching noise could be heard, almost that of someone scratching their nails on a chalkboard, accompanied by slow, steady footsteps. A bloody, serrated bone claw came into view scraping and tearing the wallpaper. Nicole showed herself to her companion, but it had been ages since she had been able to discern the difference between an ally and a human Happy Meal. Her jaw had been broken accommodating her new, extendable fangs perfect for preying on suitable flesh. Her serpentine tongue meandered within her voracious maw. Her torn clothing which 'grew' onto her skin, revealed shriveled breasts pitted with bites from her makers. And other superficial indications provided enough to understand she was a Necromorph.

Isaac sat in shock and awe at this monstrosity, and once after he got past the visuals, he began to cry. "Of all people to have been infected, you were one of them."

His lover refused to acknowledge his existence and replied with a primordial scream. Nicole raised her one arm and sprang at Isaac with utmost intensity, her fangs and claw at the ready. Isaac took the brunt of the force getting knocked back into his bed. With one hand, he held back the Necromorph's fanged face, and with the other, he grasped her one blade-like arm out of harms way.

"Get. The Fuck. OFF ME!" Isaac spun the blade arm so as the elbow faced him and with brute force, snapped the arm using a striking foot, rendering it useless. Nicole didn't seem to mind not having an arm for she continued to pursue attacking Isaac only using her mandibles.

Isaac tossed the flailing body to the ground and made a run for the door, shutting it behind him. As he left, the hydraulics of the door hissed and locked in place. Bone against steel could be heard along with squeals and bellows. He stopped and turned to look at his impending doom, but Death seemed to cease at trying to take his life.

"I have to find a weapon," Isaac exclaimed to himself.

The long hallway was barren and dimly lit, with one long window giving but a glimpse of deep space. A vast ocean of stars and galaxies ripe for the harvest of exploration. Isaac, although, had much more dire needs to take care of. He haphazardly thought of a way to bypass the maze of a ship. Either way before him was the bloody aftermath of a dismemberment party involving hapless patients and their viral counterparts. Sounds from the far right urged him to make his ascent to the bridge start at the left.

His travel for the next few minutes remained optimal, with no encounters with Necromorphs. All but illusions created obstacles in his path. What seemed to be serendipitous was an open space with four elevators. One was clearly unusable for several reasons including the door being busted open with a Necromorph's claws. The other three looked to be fine.

Next to the malfunctioning elevator was the pristine body of a UNSC Marine. His left hand was gone dripping black blood from every orifice it could suffice. Alongside the freshly mauled body was a helmet and a UNSC issued Assault Rifle. Blood was smeared across the face of the helmet.

The body and its conditions looked too coincidental, and Isaac knew too well Necromorphs actually had strategies for ways to bring down the living. A fire extinguisher hung on its bright red rack with reflective lettering saying "IN CASE OF FIRE." Isaac grabbed the tank of pressurized gases, and chucked the red can at the body, hitting it square in the chest. The can fell to the ground and slowly rolled off while the body didn't move a muscle. It just slouched there, lifeless.

"What would have been even worse than a Necromorph is that I were to hit a living person," Isaac thought to himself, a sort of eased up look emerged itself across his face.

He walked towards the slouched body but stopped to look at the elevator. Sparks flew left and right and flames engulfed the enclosure. He looked down at his bare feet and the blade arm he knew all too well lay crushed and severed with the owner nowhere to be found. He peered into the elevator looking for anything that could be useful to his journey but to no avail.

He turned to face the dead marine laying where it should have been but it now with morbid, black eyes and an equally tainted smile standing before him.

Isaac with all the force he could muster sent the Marine's head flying towards the wall with a resounding crack. The reanimated corpse, now with a concave forehead, stumbled back and fell. Isaac grabbed the assault rifle while the Marine was still down and turned around to face the beast. He grasped the rifle firm and for the head. And pulled the trigger.

Four quick shots was all it took to end the man's suffering. More blood dripped, and dripped, and dripped, across the floor. Isaac's face turned pale. His encounters with the Necromorphs had been endless and his feeling had grown numb, but killing someone that looked human, Isaac couldn't handle that.

He felt nausea overcome his senses as he fell to his knees retching onto the bloodstained floor. He stood up feeling light headed. His eyes were blood-shot and for some amount of time, he couldn't stand straight, wobbling from side to side. His head cleared giving him the time to search and finally unclothe the Marine. The corpse's armor was a little tight on Isaac but it gave him more protection and better means of getting over hazardous obstacles. He finally peered at the rifle's onscreen ammo count and found that those four shots were his last.

Isaac examined a holographic display at the back of the lobby. It resembled the Pillar of Autumn's bulky exterior with the interior showing through. A blinking dot in the back of the ship represented where he was, which didn't seem too close to where he wanted to go. He typed onto a holographic keyboard his destination, "The Bridge," and waited as a rotating circle prevented him from making any changes. After some time, the wheel vanished and in large letters, "Elevator 2," took its place. He proceeded with his original plan and entered one of the elevators. The inside was a polished stainless steel with corrugated flooring. The doors closed and a voice arose startling Isaac.

"Where would you like to go sir?" The voice was that of a woman's but no human would have been that calm during a situation like this.

"I need to get to the bridge right now!" Isaac replied with assertiveness.

"Now you don't need to get angry," she said, "You'll need to swipe your card stating that you have access to the Bridge or anywhere on that floor for that matter."

Isaac padded the already rummaged layers of armor and nothing resembling a card.

"Maybe you dropped it outside?" The woman inquired.

Isaac shrugged and began looking for the card in the small elevator lobby. He tried his best to keep his eyes away from the body and yet, the card was nowhere to be found. The fact disgruntled him even more along with the fact that his newly attained clothing didn't quite fit him. He padded around his bullet proof vest and felt a card on the inside. He unzipped the vest and peeled at the velcro holding the card in place. As he pulled it out it fumbled in his hand and landed on the floor.

Isaac bent down to pick up the card but an unnatural sound followed him to the lobby. A Necromorph popped its head into the lobby and spotted Isaac with dead eyes. Its instinct drove the creature mad as it sprung towards Isaac. Isaac tried to grab the card but with the little time he was given, the card was not retrieved. He rushed back to the elevator and yelled to the computer controlling the elevator to close the door. His safety was only minuscule as the Necromorph pried at the elevators doors screaming and spitting at its quarry. Isaac had his foe have a quick introduction to the sole of his boot so as the elevator could close its doors.

"Can you still get me to the Bridge?"

"That is something I can't do without the card. Not even I can override that command. Only the captain is allowed."

"Then get me to the place closest to the bridge."

"Sounds like a plan," the elevator screeched as it made its descent to the last hope Isaac had.

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I wasn't pleased much with this chapter but then again, I can always use some improvement. Well then, I hope to see more comments and such pop up in my email. It really makes me happy when I read compliments or constructive criticism.


	3. Chapter 3

School and laziness have been the two factors on why I just couldn't get this out sooner. Hopefully I'll be able to get my lethargic ass off the couch and actually do something productive. Other than that, I should have taken the time to look over this chapter yet my amazing abilities of lurking on 4chan (did I say that out loud?) and reading manga prevented me from doing so.

What are you doing still reading this? Shoo! Off you go!

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"Get all weapons armed and ready for use," Keyes addressed to his remaining crew of fifteen people, "I want everyone out of here alive!"

The door that prevented Necromorph entrance were being given the beating of a lifetime. Dents that ran across the length of the door grew in numbers, questioning its structural integrity. Screams and bellows warned the few survivors of their ever present demise.

Captain Keyes stood with his pistol at the ready; his trigger finger prepared to strike. He called to one of his subordinates, "Malcolm!"

"Oh! Uh, yes sir!" a feeble man with pale skin and brown curly hair answered, "What is it sir?"

"How many people can fit inside the escape pods in here?"

"Only five can fit in each sir. Any more and that would be suicidal."

Keyes quickly looked behind him, disappointed with the amount of people he had. He asked another question, "Are there any other ways to get outside of the bridge besides these doors?"

"Uh, well, according to the blueprints sir," Malcolm pulled out a bar with a holographic screen extending out forming what resembled a piece of paper with a touch screen, "There is a duct near the escape pods once down the ladder but only a handful of us can fit through."

"When you say 'a handful,' how many, or should I say, who is able to go?"

"You, captain, are the maximum for a comfortable fit."

"Cortana!"

To Malcolm's left, the blue circular table that was positioned in front of the captain's chair released a miniature woman. She was stark naked yet that didn't matter for her transparent body consisted of bright purple binary code. Cortana had short cropped hair and she had a stern or unemotional expression to her, "What do you need captain?"

"I need you to put a permanent lock on the escape pods. There will be no way in any form possible for the pods to be opened from the outside. You understand?"

"Will the pods' doors be able to withstand the Necromorphs?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the escape pods have better defenses than these doors here. Those who can fit go with me inside the ducts, and those who can't, stay in the pods. Now MOVE!"

Everyone had a general idea on their size and it came down to ten individuals, three of which were ODST, had to stay. The other five, two of which were ODST, along with Keyes, were good for the ducts.

The ten too large for the ducts went down the ladder and pried the duct of its shielding. "It's open!" one shouted. Keyes and his crew members backed away slowly from the from the soon to be destroyed door and scrambled down the ladder to only crawl something just as frightening.

Screams were getting louder and the sound of bone against metal was becoming more crisp than each others' voices. The group launched themselves into the unknown with no light and only one way to go.

The elevator doors opened and Isaac walked out into the lobby. It was a similar scene as the one on the previous floor. Blood everywhere, rubble strewn about, and a few mutilated bodies here and there.

"It'll take you some time to get to the bridge but signs across the ship will lead you there," the woman said.

Isaac gave a quick nod prior to his departure, "Thanks."

Isaac closed in on his destination. He had found more ammunition and encounters were at a minimum. Bloodstained maps were spread evenly across the labyrinth of a ship so finding the bridge took minutes instead of hours. Each of the five senses were at their peak in Isaac's body. The clothing on his back itched his skin from salty residue. His ears rung at the faintest sound. The smell of blood clogged his nostrils. Even the darkest reaches of this nightmarish vessel could not conceal its secrets to Isaac's honed eyes.

He moved on forward through the halls. He picked up a noise above him. What was it? He didn't know. But that is exactly what would have lead to the end of his mortality. He released the safety on his rifle. Looking up, an air duct of a reasonable size carried a continuous rattling echo. Isaac readied the rifle and stepped away as the sound trickled on seconds later but stopped. He prepared to squeeze when after a minute, no sounds. Only the drone of machinery lingered in the hall.

For seconds that lasted minutes, he stood like a statue with eyes that refused avert from the unknown. He lowered his rifle to the tempo of his heavy, unnatural breathing. His feet began to move instinctively away from the vent at an even pace. He had only started to look away when a black sludge flooded the vent. It eroded the vent and continued down onto the floor. Green, gaseous vapors stank the hallway making Isaac cover his mouth and eyes preventing them from being damaged. One eye ventured past the hand and looked at the gaping whole in the ground. It spanned at least six feet in diameter with the steel giving way underneath. Isaac looked up at the origin which by no means looked friendly.

The Necromorph had taken its time to mutate and shape itself to have its throat ripped from chin to sternum. Its scorched trachea was exposed spurting the black sludge that had previously done so much damage. Burns covered the body and rendered its arms useless. One of its bloodshot eyes caved in with red and white viscous liquid oozing out. As all Necromorphs have done before this creature, it began to lunge forward in hope of making a fine feast of human flesh. Isaac readied his rifle and sprinted in the opposite direction, firing in hope of landing a hit on any vitals.

The few bullets that made contact hit the stomach. No exit wound occurred but ooze squirted in all directions burning anything it made contact with. A comfortable distance of twenty feet had been made and several shots to the head, legs, and arms ensured Isaac's safety.

Looking back at the scene, the acid deteriorated the structural integrity of the hallway making it difficult to reach the other side. Gas continued to rise to the ceiling, forming a vomit green coating above him. His eyes started to water and his mouth began to taste odd. He hurried off in the other direction in search for another route to the Bridge. Pains from traversing the disquieting hallways soon caught up with Isaac, making the trip even more frightening. He may not be able to get away from a Necromorph next time around or a quick situation may be his last. He did not know, but he was hoping that those last few moments wouldn't happen soon.

His travels stopped when he came upon a room devoid of the horrors that presented itself outside. The door leading into the room was marked "Cryo-chamber."

"What in the hell is this?" Isaac wondered to himself. He looked inside, stretching out to look to the left and right. He deemed the area safe and opened the sliding door.

In the center, a single chamber resided with frost gathered around the edges of the glass. Isaac wiped the frost off the glass and looked at the figure inside. The giant slept inside the chamber. Judging from experience, it was at least seven feet tall. There was no way of knowing who the person was due to the thick plates of armor that obscured his face. Isaac wondered if this was another ODST but this armor was too amazing. The others only had minimal padding to avoid any injures but this, this was a masterpiece of engineering. He then remembered the conversation he had with his doctor. They were the elite, chosen to protect humanity. Along the side of its chamber sure enough, was his name, or at least what the UNSC called it.

"Master Chief John-117," Isaac scoffed at finding such a rarity, "Now how in the world do I wake him up?"

Across from him was a station, most likely involved in opening the hatch, but without the necessary information he was unable to release John from his state. He persisted in his finding and finally found the "manual open" latch for "emergency purposes." With enough force, the chamber began to hiss with plumes of white smoke leaking from the incomplete seals. Isaac proceeded to lift the glass upward and locked it in place.

For several minutes, John refused to wake up. Isaac had started to lose faith but after the frost melted off the olive drab armor, fingers began to rustle.

"John! Can you hear me?" he shouted at the awakening beast.

The Spartan raised his head and shook It a few times. He looked from side to side and then finally started to stand up. His steel soled boots clanked against the floor, resounding around the room. At last, he stood up high towering over Isaac by a foot. He scanned the room once more before speaking.

"Who are you?" his voice was deep and gravely and was to a point monotone. He was in his thirties or forties Isaac imagined.

"Isaac Clarke. You are a Spartan, correct?"

"Well, who hasn't heard of us by now. But other than that, why'd you wake me up?"

"Rather than leaving a perfectly good Spartan to die on this ship, I decided to have you tag along."

"Let me guess, Covenant troops have boarded."

"Regrets to inform you, its worse."

"Then what, might I ask?"

"Necromorphs."

"Wait, I now recall who you are. The captain spoke highly of you a month ago. He also mentioned the Necromorphs."

"Wait. I've been asleep for a month?"

"How am I supposed to know, did you just wake up?"

"Never mind that. What we have to do is get to the Bridge."

"Follow me then," John walked towards the door from whence Isaac came, and stopped, "Well, are you going to follow or not? I really cannot do this without you and you know that."

Isaac caught up with the Chief and replied, "Ready when you are." The two walked out in hopes of finding their surviving comrades, if they were still alive.

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Alas you have finished the current chapter. I hope this cleared some things up about the previous chapter but if it didn't, SUCKS FOR YOU!


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